The Real-World Physics of Superman

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE REAL-WORLD PHYSICS OF SUPERMAN Kal-el The Man of Steel Kal-el, known to the world as Superman, is one of literature's most famous superheroes; inspiring millions of people all over the world with his ethical approach, mild-mannered nature and incredible abilities. But how do these abilities stand up to the laws of physics as we know them? Strength and Invulnerability. Superman is incredibly strong and essentially invulnerable, we'll examine some of possibilities regarding his strength and invulnerability. Krypton. We'll look at the gravitational pull of his home planet, as well as the physics behind the story of him being sent to Earth. Leaping tall buildings in a single bound. We'll look at Superman's ability to leap tall buildings, and examine the physics behind such an ability. Flight. Superman is said to be powered by the yellow sun, allowing him to fly - is this feasible as a power source? Strength Picking up a moving car Stopping a plane Catching Louis Lane Superman once picked up a speeding car by its roof using his strength, but this wouldn't have been possible. Instead, the roof would have Superman once saved Louis from certain death by catching her inches from a pavement after she fell - this could only have been via strength, as there was no room to match her speed and decelerate. However, this would have split her in three, killing her. One famous scene sees Kal-el stop a speeding plane using his strength - stopping it by its nose cone. However, if this was a feat of strength, the plane would have been destroyed, just as if it had flown straight into a simply ripped off, while the car continued moving on its forward trajectory. solid wall. Our Verdict: Not possible Our Verdict: Not possible* Our Verdict: Not possible* * This couldn't be possible as a feat of strength. However, it could potentially be explained if Superman could create and control negative mass. However, this is a so-far hypothetical state of matter, so we can't say for sure that this would be possible. The common explanation for Kal-el's strength Superman's strength is generally thought to be a result of the difference between the gravitational pull of Krypton and that of Earth. Leaping a tall building in a single bound Superman can crouch down and It's fair to assume that Superman is at least 1,000 times stronger* than a normal human, allowing him to lift approx 100,000kg. The force required to lift an object on any given planet is equal to the mass of the object x gravitational force of the planet, sp Krypton would need to be 1,000 times as big as Earth. Rounded up. Earth's gravity is 10 metres per second, so the gravity of Krypton would be 10,000 metres per push against the Earth, and the Earth would push back (thanks to Newton's Third Law of Motion), lifting him up. So if Superman was strong enough, he could leap a building of 660ft with a liftoff velocity of approximately 140mph. second. So, Krypton's mass would be 6 x 1033kg - 3 times the mass of the sun - essentially impossible according to the law of physics as we know them. Our Verdict: Possible Our Verdict: Not possible * We're assuming Superman weighs around 220lbs, which gives him the ability to lift around 220,000 pounds (approx. 100,0Ookg). This is based on the fact that a human in peak condition can usually lift his own body weight. We know Superman can lift a plane, so it stands to reason that Kal-el is at the very least 1,000 times stronger than a human being. Leaving Krypton for Earth According to Superman's backstory, he was sent to Earth from Krypton in a small rocket ship, but this would be practically impossible. In order to break the gravitational pull of Krypton, the escape velocity would need to be 11,000km / second (approx 1/30th of the speed of light). No chemical reaction in the universe could produce enough energy to achieve such a velocity. Our Verdict: Not possible Superman and the sun Raised under yellow sun Another explanation for Superman's strength (and his ability to fly) is that he gets his energy from the electromagnetic radiation contained in the light from the sun. Superman is often said to have his abilities due to being raised under a yellow sun. Unfortunately. there is little difference between Given the area of Superman's body in contact with the light from the sun, he absorbs 1,096 joules per second from the sun's rays. For an eight hour flight at an altitude of 30km, he would use 207 billion joules of energy to overcome drag forces and stay in the air. the two. The light from a red sun would have a small occurrence of high frequencies, and infrared light would be more common, but that's about it. For Superman to be getting all of his energy from the sun, he would need a solar cell efficiency of 656,000% - which isn't possible. Our Verdict: Not an explanation Our Verdict: Not possible O Other abilities X-ray vision In order for Superman to have X-ray vision, he would need to emit rays which penetrate objects and return to his eyes. However, there is nothin return the rays to his eyes (ie. they should continue forward), making this impossible. Invulnerability Cold breath Superman's invulnerability does not come from the toughness of his flesh, but a superthin aura If Superman could keep pockets of compressed Nitrogen (or a similar element) stored in his lungs at high pressure, when he blows it out the pressure would that surrounds him. It can't be heat related or a rigid material, but it could be a non-Newtonian g to be released, the substance fluid that would be activated by a sudden impact. would expand and cool, freezing whatever he aims at. Our Verdict: Possible Our Verdict: Possible Our Verdict: Not possible Sources: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyld:Ss09958 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140730093837.htm http://io9.com/5810945/the-physics-of-superman http://home.howstuffworks.com/refrigerator4.htm http://scienceblogs.com/omnibrain/2009/10/05/how-supermans-x-ray-vision-wor/ http://physicsforidiots.com/featured-article/ http://www.naso.gov/centers/glenn/tochnology/worp/ideachev_prt.htm http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/sonese/101/liquids/faq/non-newtonian.shtml shade YOU'LL LIKE WHAT YOU SEE SHADESTATION.CO.UK